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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bound — certain
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bound — obliged
  19. squash — to crush
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com